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Zen Pinball on iOS

Zen Pinball iOS will be available for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone 4 starting next week!

If you are at all familiar with Pinball FX2, then you know how this will work: Zen Pinball on iOS is a FREE pinball platform download for everyone. Included in the download is a FREE table - Sorcerer's Lair - which users can play as long as they want, no strings attached.

All other tables will be individual in-app purchases.

Table selection will be a mix of Zen's original designs and the Marvel series. There will be a total of three tables at launch including Sorcerer's Lair.

Some key features:

- Achievements – powered by Open Feint
- Game Center enabled
- Leader Boards – Global leader boards and local high scores
- Rule Sheet – Each table comes equipped with a rule sheet providing tips and tricks to help you boost your score
- Hot Seat Multiplayer – Pass the game around to friends as you compete with each other for the top pinball wizard

Just downloaded now, seems to perform well enough on the ipad 1 or though the frame rate takes a hit on Captain America table, also £1.49 per table!!!, seems abit steep to me seeing as the going rate for a game on the app store is 69p!!

For me, the price per table is perfectly fine. I used to drop money in pinball machines for years, so to own a table for a couple of bucks, and be able to play it at any time, is one heck of a deal, even when I already own all these tables on the PS3.

I noticed a little bit of a stutter playing the tables on an iPad 2 and iPhone 4S until I rebooted the device. Now it only stutters when I have a multi-ball. Hopefully that'll be tweaked in the future.

Just downloaded now, seems to perform well enough on the ipad 1 or though the frame rate takes a hit on Captain America table,

Originally Posted by GordLacey

I noticed a little bit of a stutter playing the tables on an iPad 2 and iPhone 4S until I rebooted the device. Now it only stutters when I have a multi-ball. Hopefully that'll be tweaked in the future.

Try turning off the "Arcade Effects". That should improve the frame rate. The special effects require more processing power and can boggle things down.

Just downloaded now, seems to perform well enough on the ipad 1 or though the frame rate takes a hit on Captain America table, also £1.49 per table!!!, seems abit steep to me seeing as the going rate for a game on the app store is 69p!!

Also still no full screen view!, wtf Zen!!!???

As a test, try turning off the Dot Matrix Display on the Captain America table. I know it's not ideal, but for me it makes the table MUCH smoother (on all tables).....hopefully Zen can optimize the performance in an update.

After more testing, turning off the Dot Matrix Display boosts performance more than anything else on iPad 1, which sucks, but at least there's a way to make it smoother. Turning off Arcade Effects doesn't seem to help much.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a performance update from Zen since even some iPad 2 and 4S users are reporting some choppiness.

So can you guys make a lower res version of the DMD or optimize it somehow because playing with it turned off definitely makes the game run smoother. Other users have confirmed this as well on the Touch Arcade forum...thanks.

Great idea to release Zen Pinball on iOS!
One of my favorite games on PSN.
Sadly it doesn't work that well on my iPhone 3GS with latest iOS.
Most of the text is way too small in menus.
And when I play there is a big box that never disappears when I play.
Making it unplayable since 1/3 of the tiny screen is covered. See picture below.

After more testing, turning off the Dot Matrix Display boosts performance more than anything else on iPad 1, which sucks, but at least there's a way to make it smoother. Turning off Arcade Effects doesn't seem to help much.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a performance update from Zen since even some iPad 2 and 4S users are reporting some choppiness.

Originally Posted by jeffy777

So can you guys make a lower res version of the DMD or optimize it somehow because playing with it turned off definitely makes the game run smoother. Other users have confirmed this as well on the Touch Arcade forum...thanks.

Just wondering if I can get a reply from Zen on this? The Android forum is getting support replies, but unfortunately I can't seem to get any support here...

Great idea to release Zen Pinball on iOS!
One of my favorite games on PSN.
Sadly it doesn't work that well on my iPhone 3GS with latest iOS.
Most of the text is way too small in menus.
And when I play there is a big box that never disappears when I play.
Making it unplayable since 1/3 of the tiny screen is covered. See picture below.

Are these known bugs that will be fixed?

The box can be turned off in the Settings -> Video menu. Turn Challenge Display to Off.

Congratulations on a great release!

I picked up Zen Pinball on release day, after a minute of game play I purchased the additional two tables (scorcerer's liar my favorite). After playing on my iPhone (4) I went back and purchased all but 2 (mars and ms splossion man) on XBLA for FX2. Hard to beleive I'm putting aside most of my retail games (BF3, COD3, etc...) to play pinball. Much kudos to a great game, I look forward to the release of more tables on all the availble platforms!

Would love to see a zen table which is comparable in gameplay as the indy, a well balanced mission and multiball game. You gotta love scoring those super jackpots! while still being able to score also big with the end game.

Would love to see a zen table which is comparable in gameplay as the indy, a well balanced mission and multiball game. You gotta love scoring those super jackpots! while still being able to score also big with the end game.

Give me some Apollo 13 mayhem. Hahahaha. What were they thinking? Still, I did dump a heap of coins in that machine. The sheer insanity was outstanding.

Twilight zone was good, but TOM was magical. I can't remember Indy too much, I remember that narrow pass or something. Was hard to find good pinball here in Australia

Ps: I went into into an arcade today in the city. And only one pinball- the new stern transformers. Pretty basic layout. However there were no less than three dance dance revolution games. Go figure.

That was the machine that started it all for me, after that the adams became my favourite and than came indy! Scored 8billion on than one. Those were the days!

Yep, me too. T2, Addams, Theatre, Fish Tales, Whirlwind, Cirque Voltaire, Dr Who, the car one where it spun around that ring track (name???) and DEMOLITION MAN (a game better than the movie, but not like that's hard). And of course the STAR WARS 90s machine, that took most of my coins next to Theatre.

I thought Zen Pinball iPad 1 ran ok, but I was watching a video of the 3DS Zen Pinball and it seems to be running smoother than the iPhone 4/iPod Touch 4/iPad 1 version. Telling from the specs, it should be possible to get the iPad 1 version running just as smooth. Is this planned?

Yep, me too. T2, Addams, Theatre, Fish Tales, Whirlwind, Cirque Voltaire, Dr Who, the car one where it spun around that ring track (name???) and DEMOLITION MAN (a game better than the movie, but not like that's hard). And of course the STAR WARS 90s machine, that took most of my coins next to Theatre.

And guilty pleasure.. Apollo 13.

The table you were talking about where the ball flies around the track was called getaway

Why are they three apps if we can get them in the zen app?...and why can't I transfer purchases from Star Wars or marvel?

The Spider-Man table is only in Marvel (due to licensing issues) and SWP got its own app so it could have its own Star Wars features. For whatever reason Apple doesn't allow imports/transfers between apps.

Transferring purchases

Originally Posted by BarbieBobomb

The Spider-Man table is only in Marvel (due to licensing issues) and SWP got its own app so it could have its own Star Wars features. For whatever reason Apple doesn't allow imports/transfers between apps.

The good people at Gameprom have managed to do this with tables purchased in Pinball HD - which are automatically transferred to Pinball Collection - a completely seperate app.

The good people at Gameprom have managed to do this with tables purchased in Pinball HD - which are automatically transferred to Pinball Collection - a completely seperate app.

Are you certain this can't be done with your apps?

With Spider-Man, it's not a technical issue, it's a license issue, so the only way we could publish it was in it's own Marvel Branded app. We were always told that it was iTunes & Google Play's policy that in-app purchases could not be transferred/imported, but maybe that has changed since we began publishing.

Now that steam is on mac osx

Wasn't the fact that Steamplay wasn't on OSX the main barrier against thhe original 4 classics being available on Mac?. Now that it is, that barrier is gone. And, interestingly enough, the same game can be available on both the Mac App Store, *and* Steam. I know, I have Pinball Arcade installed both as the Steam versionb and the App Store version. Why? You might ask... Well, I am able to pre-buy the season 3 pack on Steam, but not from Apple. Apple considers it "unfinished" applications. Also, I am unable to use the "free play" option on the Apple version.. they consider it "demos". Lastly, I am banned from mentioning these facts on the app review, or make any mention or comparison between the App store version and the Steam version. In fact I'm not allowed to mention in my review that there even *is* a steam version.
Meaning, that there not only are no barriers to also issuing a Steam version on the Mac, but I think you'd have a whole lot of happier Pinball FX 2 playersa on OSX, plus finally the classic tables being available on Mac. Sounds like a win-win-win, to me..
How about it?

Incidentally, I thought I was posting this in the OSX section..Where should it have gone?

Last edited by Doccus; 01-10-2014 at 01:31 AM.
Reason: lost in the forum jungle ;-)

Steam version on OSX?

Originally Posted by BarbieBobomb

With Spider-Man, it's not a technical issue, it's a license issue, so the only way we could publish it was in it's own Marvel Branded app. We were always told that it was iTunes & Google Play's policy that in-app purchases could not be transferred/imported, but maybe that has changed since we began publishing.

Well, it's a similar issue with publishing these games on Steam on OSX, although it's not *transferring* but simply issuing them, which is why I referenced my question below. The Pinball Arcade is available both viua Mac App Store *and* Steamplay, so I am wondering if you now can do the same. My interest is those tables that were only allowed to be issued via Steam, of course

I love the game and purchase every Marvel and Star Wars table as they come out.

I just have a small, silly request.

I would like to be able to change the sound effects - specifically for the flippers. I don't know why but the flipper sound and reverberation make the table sound cheaply built. I don't know why - maybe the extra reverb reminds me of the hollow-resonant sounds of loose-fitting parts and large acrylic panels.

It might have nothing to do with gameplay but pinball is a visceral experience and I think sound is an important part of that.

I'm playing on my iPhone 5s, btw. Or is there a simple mod/hack that can change the sound effect.

Zen Pinball for iOS is currently broken for me. (iMac with iOS Yosemite)

I purchased at the end of last year several tables, including 3 Star Wars tables, Deadpool, Spiderman, Iron Man, Gardians Of Galaxy, Hulk, Ghost rider, Cicil War, Infinity Gauntlet, Walking Dead and more (almost every single Marvel table indeed) it was working fine until the update that included the Venom table, which I purchased.

After Venom: Impossible to open Zen Pinball 2.app, it is damaged, pleased uninstall and download again from the app store.

I did as I was told, downloaded again the App and the 12+ tables including Venom and... same.

Downloaded again except Venom and it worked.

Today, I buy Age of Ultron and... same error. I will not pass time downloading again and again.